UPDATE February 6, 2024: Country Music legend Toby Keith has died after a battle with stomach cancer. The “Red Solo Cup” and “Beer for My Horses” singer was 62.

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“Toby Keith passed peacefully last night on February 5th surrounded by his family,” read a statement posted to his account on Instagram. “He fought his fight with grace and courage. Please respect the privacy of his family at this time.”

 

He was diagnosed with the disease in 2021 and spoke about it publicly. In 2022, he described his cancer journey as a “little bit of a roller coaster. You get good days and, you know, you’re up and down, up and down,” he told E! News at the People’s Choice Country Awards red carpet, according to People. At that awards show, he was honored with a Country Icon Award.

 

To learn more about stomach cancer, including the risk factors, see “Toby Keith’s Stomach Cancer Diagnosis Shines Light on a Less Common Cancer.”

 

Below is our previous reporting from December 12, 2022:

Country music legend Toby Keith “has plans to get back on the road after battling cancer,” reports CMT Hot 20 Countdown host Cody Alan, who recently interviewed Keith.

In June, Keith shared on social media that he had been diagnosed with gastric cancer in the fall of 2021, after which he spent six months receiving chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. “So far, so good,” he said in his June 2022 post. “I need time to breathe, recover and relax.… But I will see the fans sooner than later.”

For many fans, “sooner” turned out to be last month. In early November, the “Red Solo Cup” singer was honored with the 2022 BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.) Icon Award for his songwriting.

Later in the month, he gave an impromptu performance at Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse in Lexington, Kentucky. According to CMT.com, the mini concert marked Keith’s first performance since his diagnosis with gastric cancer, more commonly known as stomach cancer.

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And on Giving Tuesday, November 29, Keith posted a photo of himself with a girl who has cancer. The message read, “Thumbs up if you’re celebrating #GivingTuesday by donating to the @tkfoundation1! Your donations make the OK Kids Korral possible, a home away from home for children battling cancer and their families.” (In 2006, he established the Toby Keith Foundation, in Oklahoma, to help children with cancer.)

During his interview with Country Music Television’s Alan, below, Keith discussed the BMI award and his steakhouse performance and updated fans on his health and future touring plans. “I’m thinking about getting back in fighting shape,” Keith told the Country Music Television host (the interview is included in the Instagram post below). “I need a little bit of time to rest up and heal up. It’s pretty debilitating to have to go through all that as along as everything stays hunky-dory then we’ll look at something good in the future.”

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To learn more about stomach cancer, including the risk factors, see “Toby Keith’s Stomach Cancer Diagnosis Shines Light on a Less Common Cancer.”